


E is for Enemy Mine

by sg_wonderland



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2014-05-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 18:37:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1698509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sg_wonderland/pseuds/sg_wonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has some issues with the mission outcome</p>
            </blockquote>





	E is for Enemy Mine

This had to be, Daniel thought, the longest debrief in history. Not that he had much of a memory of past debriefing but this one seemed to go on forever. His head hurt, he needed a cup of coffee and a good night’s sleep and what purpose could possibly be achieved by rehashing the mission over and over? 

Finally, General Hammond stood. “Colonel Edwards, I’d like to see you and Teal’c in my office. The rest of you are dismissed.”

Daniel shot up and toward the door only to be stopped by Colonel O’Neill’s voice. “Daniel, my office.” 

Thoughts of his coffeemaker danced in his head. “I need to stop by my office. How about I meet you there later?”

“Now, Daniel.” Jack replied in a voice that sounded like he meant business. With a loud sigh, Daniel followed him out the door.

 

*

 

“Sit down.” Daniel slumped in the seat. “Just so you know, the reason General Hammond kept Edwards and Teal’c after class is that they’re both getting a reprimand.”

Daniel jolted to awareness. “What? Why?”

“Because, Daniel, that mission was screwed up in so many ways.”

“No! Jack, we got the mineral, we kept the peace with the Unas.”

“An SG team member died, Daniel. Do you remember that?” Jack’s voice was clipped, cold.

Daniel sputtered. “That’s not fair, Jack.”

“Well, it isn’t fair to Lt. Ritter’s family, is it?” Jack paused but Daniel remaind silent. “Edwards isn’t being reprimanded for Ritter’s death; that probably couldn’t have been avoided. But what he should have done was to have reported, immediately, when he found artifacts that clearly were man-made on a planet that was supposedly unoccupied. He failed to take advice that was offered to him. From someone who had more experience and understanding of the species. That would be you, Daniel.”

“He…” Daniel realized he was on the cusp of defending Edwards.

“He doesn’t listen when you talk, Daniel. He dismissed your advice because you’re a civilian. That could easily have provoked a war we couldn’t win.” 

“Jack…”

“And you. You never should have gone unarmed into enemy territory with a known combatant. And Teal’c should never have allowed it.”

Daniel protested. “Chaka? He’s not…he….I asked him to come! And I made Teal’c stay behind. If you want to blame someone, then blame me. Write me up, put one of those reprimands in my folder.”

“Oh, don’t tempt me. The only reason I’m not officially reprimanding you is that I’m not one hundred percent certain you realized what could have happened.”

“But it didn’t happen!”

“Okay, Daniel, you tell me. What would have happened if Chaka hadn’t been able to make the peace? Say, if those Unas had just killed you and strung you up like Ritter?” Daniel frowned. “Answer the question, Daniel. What would Teal’c have done?”

Daniel stared at his hands. “He would have…he probably would have attacked the Unas.”

“You’re damned right he would have! He’d have killed as many as he could have gotten his hands on. Of course, there were a helluva lot more of them than there were of him, but that wouldn’t have stopped him, would it?”

“No,” Daniel whispered, never raising his head.

“Then the Unas would have gone after the SG teams and, well, we pretty much know how that would have ended, don’t we?”

Daniel nodded. The silence stretched between them. “I…I don’t know what you want from me, Jack.”

“I want you to give a damn about your life as much as the rest of us do. And I want to know that you know there are other lives at stake besides your own.”

“What?” He was clearly confused.

Jack sighed. “They’re all sworn to protect you so when you put your life in danger, you’re putting theirs on the line too. I just want you to think about that the next time you decide to hare off somewhere alone with people you shouldn’t be trusting.”

“If Teal’c had come with me, the Unas might not have negotiated.”

“And they might have. If you’d told Chaka that protecting you was Teal’c’s sworn duty, he might have understood that. You’re the one who is always telling us the Unas have a pretty good understanding of honor and all that stuff.”

“It might have been acceptable to the Unas.” Daniel thought for a minute. “So it technically was my fault and you should reprimand me, not Teal’c.”

“You’re asking me to reprimand you?”

Daniel lifted his chin. “I insist on it.”

Jack grinned and Daniel frowned. “No, I don’t think I’m going to. I’m not going to give you the satisfaction. Your punishment is going to be seeing Teal’c get his hand slapped because of you.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Again with that word. Life’s not fair, Daniel, and the military is an excellent example of that. Now,” Jack closed the folder on his desk. “If we hurry, we might be able to get the ends of the meat loaf for lunch.” Jack could see he wanted to refuse on principle if nothing else. He pointed out his sling as he rose, “Besides you have to carry my tray. You owe me.”

“How do you figure that?” Daniel’s frown was even more pronounced.

“Because it’s your fault Chaka Khan attacked me.”

“Chaka? Chaka wasn’t even on the planet when you got hurt!” But Daniel found himself talking to an empty room. “Hey,” he shouted as he followed Jack to the elevator. “What’s a Chaka Khan?”

 

*


End file.
